Total Quality

Election fever (I’m Sick from/of it Already)

At least, constantly talking in terms of a deficit of billions makes my own debt level seem paltry. These much-promoted “efficiency savings” are surely nonsense. Many years ago I thought there was a great idea called Total Quality Management, which included within it the concept of permanent review of systems and procedures, constantly seeking further improvements and efficiencies. At the time it appeared to be widely adopted in both the private and public sectors. What happened to it?

I laughed at the prospect of saving money by cutting IT projects. In my innocence I had always thought that these were aimed at improving efficiency. However, past records seem to show, again for both private and public sectors, that these projects have been totally mishandled by project managers and just proved to be wallowing grounds for those dreadful management consultants. There is usually a substantial cost to maintaining outdated systems, which may involve retaining ancient computer systems, not meeting changed legal requirements, etc. etc. – not a good idea, unless you have special Bernie Madoff style reasons for so doing! http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/24/news/newsmakers/madoff.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2009042406

Of course, my simple answer to the deficit – based on a year’s Economics study at Manchester many years ago – is to increase income tax, rather than cut services. Then we all share the grief equally. Personally, I would like the highest-paid to get more of their fair share of grief. Do we really want our education, health, police and library (personal again) services to decline? Increases in income tax, however, are always referred to as “politically unacceptable”, so governments mess around with the more regressive national insurance and VAT. It’s the buffalo in the bathroom cracking wide the porcelain, or possibly the 800lb gorilla in the garden terrorising the roses. (I can still remember the first question of the Economics exam: “1. Economics is a science, but an inexact one. Discuss.”)

Pompous, aggressive interviewers

I mean those interviewers who don’t even give the interviewee the chance to give a perfectly reasonable qualifying clause, before starting the answer. Recently, I have noticed that they even interrupt their own long questions, to re-phrase it into an even longer one, and then immediately interrupt as ever.

They are always demanding a “straight yes or no”, when increase) can “be ruled out” when it’s clear that if circumstances change – which they do a lot in economics! – it may well have to be ruled back in again.

Yes, it’s Andrew Neil, Jeremy Paxman and John Humphrys. Neil is probably the worst, but Humphrys has the silliest, most pompous voice.

PM’s Questions

Why is anyone interested in this circus?

Golf – A “Sport” for the Old and Obese (and occasional Sex Addict)

I see that the US Masters has just started, and up there at the top of the leaderboard are 50-year old Fred Couples and 60 year old, Tom Watson.

Well, I suppose it’s their turn, as last year it was the turn of the over-40s fatties to dominate in the shapes of Angel Cabrera, Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry.

If the game wasn’t so boring and I could put on another 120 pounds, I reckon I could be up there with the Tiger for the next 10 years and make a fortune, and meet girls.

For Seinfeld nerds only

I was planning to ask on an internet forum where anyone had the complete activities of Bob Sacamano, Kramer’s non-appearing friend from the show, but luckily I found all the references to Bob in a short Youtube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENY7qCkDYL0

From the references we learn that Bob produces beautiful invitations to his parties, he once had rabies, he sold Russian fur hats for 40 bucks, got a job in a condom factory in Edison, but had a hernia and then finished up in a vegetable state in a wheelchair. I’m still checking through the mythical Art Van Der Lay, world-famous architect.

I saw a review of the new film “I Am in Love” today and the headline was “Tilda Swinton plays a Russian in Milan…”. I wonder if it’s a sequel to “Rochelle, Rochellel” (“the story of a young girl’s journey from Milan to Minsk”). Perhaps she returns, Minsk is quite close to Russia? I liked Bette Midler in the musical version on stage. is clearly not possible; or to be given a “cast iron 100 per cent guarantee” (for, e.g. against a possible terrorist attack on Heathrow) which is always impossible; or asking if something (e.g. a VAT